Multiple snap fastener socket construction



March 9, 1954 SPENDER 2,671,565

MULTIPLE SNAP FASTENER SOCKET CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 15, 1951 INVENTOR Don 13d L. Spender A 1%1?" ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1954 MULTIPLE SNAP FASTENER SOCKET GONSTRUCTION Donald L- ifipender, W l t, Gnn9 assignor t .Scoviil Manufacturing Company, Waterbury, (101111., aeoi poration of Connecticut Application December 15, 1951, Serial-No. 261,849

,3 Claims.

This invention relates toa multiple snap fastener socket construction such as may .be used in connection with a plurality of articles each carrying a snap fastener stud member.

In general, the object is to provide means .on a supporting member in the form .of a plurality of snap fastener sockets whereby articles such as packages can be quickly and easily attached or detached. The supporting member is of a rigid nature and my invention utilizes spring wires preferably positioned in grooveson theface of the support. If the support has a hat surface then two parallel wires are arranged in parallel grooves and suitably anchored in place. If the support member has a round configuration, such as a cylinder or cone, either two separate parallel wires can be used, or a single wire can be wound around the support in a helical groove, the pitch the-helix being such that the wires will have snapping engagement with the stud members on the articles to be attached to the support. When reference is made herein and in the appended claims to parallel wires, it is the intention to include not only the separate parallel wires but also the parallel portions of the single wire wound in the shape of a helix, which in effect serves as two parallel wires. A like interpretation is to be given the term parallel grooves. By the use of these continuous wires common to all the socketsarelatively cheap and effective series of sockets can be provided on the support.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing. wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a display base or stand embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary portion of the stand showing one of the socket units on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of one of the socket units, the view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view of the stand taken along line 4--4 of Fig. 1 and showing several of the socket units and the manner in which the wire ends are enclosed to the support.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the anchored wire ends.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a display stand similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction, and

Fig. '7 is a plan view of a further modified display stand showing socket units embodied therein similar to the first form of the invention.

In the drawing the numeral I10 designates .generally a support member which .may consist :of a cylindrical body II supported on a base I32. The cylindrical body II .is shown in Fig. 1 as being provided with .an upper row of fastener units I3 and a lower row of fastener units I4.

One of the fastener units is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 on an enlargedscale. It consists of a hole I5 bored radially into the cylindrical body II and also a concentric counterbore t6 bored into the face of the cylindrical body. A pair of spaced grooves IT and I8 are cut circumferentially about the body II and are arranged so as to intercept the counterbore I6, such counterbore being approximately the same depth .as the groove. In the speed grooves I! and I8 :are positionedsspring wires I9 and '20 which bridge across the counterbore I6. The width of the spaced grooves 11 and I8 is only slightly greater than the cross sectional diameter of the spring wires I9 and 20 allowing only sufficient-room for the normal manufacturing tolerance. The wires are preferably held more rigid within their respective grooves adjacent each one of the sockets and counterbores as by staking as indicated at 2| in Fig. 2. Those portions of the wires which extend across the counterbores or recesses I6 are therefore laterally flexible while the portions in the grooves are supported against flexing.

One manner in which the spring wires I9 and 20 may have their ends anchored to the support is shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Considering specifi. cally the wire I9, one end is formed with an inturned or hooked portion 22 which is fitted into a bore 23 in the support II and positioned in line with the groove IT. The opposite end of the wire 20 is initially laid across the bore 23 and is then forced into said bore 23 as by a suitable instrument 24 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4) and assumes a U-shaped bend within the bore. To prevent the hooked and bent ends of the wire I9 from pulling out of the bore 23 the face of the support adjacent the bore may be provided with staked portions 25 (see Fig. 5).

In Fig. 1 there is shown a package 26 which may be made of cellophane or like material in which is contained the material to be displayed. The package 26 is preferably shown as being provided with two stud elements 21 and 28 arranged at opposite ends of the package and may be quickly attached to or detached from the support. It will be understood that any common form of snap fastener stud element may be employed, such as the one indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The stud is aligned with one of the 3 holes 15 and pressed between the wires and when fully engaged therewith will extend into the holes [5 beyond the counterbore 16. The recesses or counterbores I6 are large enough to provide the desired unsupported length of the wire for each snap action.

It is also within the purview of this invention to have the display bags provided with only a single stud element and preferably attached to the upper row of fastener units l3.

In Fig. 6 is shown a modified construction wherein the cylindrical body I la is provided with a series of sockets 15a and counterbores [6a arranged in a helical path. In this modification a single helical groove 29 is cut in the surface of the cylindrical body Ila, which groove intercepts the counterbores in two positions. Into this groove there is wound a spring wire 30 having its opposite ends provided with hooked sections 3': that may be fitted into sockets 32 for assembly purposes. In this form it will be apparent that it is only necessary to have a single spring wire element instead of two as shown in the first form. This single wire in effect provides a pair of parallel wires for each snap fastener socket because the pitch of the helix on which the wire is wound provides the proper spring for snap engagement with the stud elements.

In Fig. '7 is shown another modification wherein a row of fastener units 35 may be applied to a flat support member 36. In this modification each of the fastener units is arranged in a straight line likewise consisting of a socket 15b and a counterbore lGb. Straight grooves (lb and lllb are cut into the surface of the support 35 and arranged to intercept the counterbores ifi'o. Within these grooves are positioned a pair of straight spring wire members [31) and 20b which are similar to the first form and which may have their ends bent inwardly and hooked into holes 38, and also the wires may be held more rigidly adjacent the area of the sockets by a staking operation 39.

While there has been described and illustrated three embodiments of the invention, various changes and modifications therein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In multiple fastener construction, a support member, means providing a plurality of snap fastener sockets on the face of said support member comprising a pair of parallel grooves in the face of said support member, a series of recesses in said support member large enough to extend across both of said grooves, and a pair of wires,

one laid in each groove and extending across all of said recesses, said wires being spaced from each other a distance slightly less than the diameter of a snap fastener stud whereby the fastener stud can have snapping engagement with those yieldable portions of the wires which extend across said recesses, and means for holding said wires in the grooves.

2. In multiple fastener construction, a support member, means providing a plurality of aligned snap fastener sockets on the face of said supporting member comprising a pair of parallel grooves in said support member, a series of spaced-apart holes in said support member centrally disposed with respect to said grooves and a series of counterbores concentric with said holes and of approximately the same depth as said grooves, a spring wire fitting in each of said grooves whereby those portions which extend across said counterbores are free to flex in the counterbores while the other portions are supported by the walls of said grooves, said wires being spaced from each other a distance slightly less than the diameter of a snap fastener stud which has snapping engagement therewith, and means for holding said wires in said grooves.

3. In multiple fastenerconstruction, a support member of circular cross section, means providing a plurality of snap fastener sockets on the face of said support member comprising a helical groove in the face of said support member extending around at least two turns thereof providing in efiect two parallel grooves, the pitch of such helix being slightly less than the diameter of a snap fastener stud which is complemental with one of said sockets, a. wire wound around the support in such parallel grooves, a series of spaced holes centrally aligned with said parallel grooves and concentric counterbores of approximately the same depth of said parallel grooves and means for staking said wires in said parallel grooves between said counterbores.

DONALD L. SPENDER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

